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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28571886">Disappearance and suspicions</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mindell/pseuds/Mindell'>Mindell</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/M, Humor, Identity Reveal, Misunderstandings, Mystery, Oblivious Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Oblivious Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir and Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Oblivious Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Reveal, Very oblivious Adrien Agreste, Very oblivious Marinette Dupain-Cheng, luckily they’re heroes, not detectives</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:20:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,658</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28571886</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mindell/pseuds/Mindell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>One of the worst possible scenarios has happened: Master Fu is missing.</p><p>Fortunately, Ladybug and Chat Noir are there to investigate and to try to find out what may have happened to the Great Guardian. And it doesn't take long for them to discover a track, as incredible as it is...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            A translation of

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/14200083">Disparition et suspicions</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mindell/pseuds/Mindell">Mindell</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi ! I translated another of my stories. I hope you’ll like it :D ! And English is not my first language, so feel free to tell me if you see any mistake. </p><p>I may translate some other fics but I don’t know which ones for the moment. Please read the note at the end of this chapter for more information.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi ! I translated another of my stories. I hope you'll like it ! And English is not my first language, so feel free to tell me if you see any mistake.</p><p>I may translate some other fics but I don't know which ones for the moment. Please read the note at the end of this chapter for more information.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Since the incident with the book she had - temporarily - stolen from Adrien, Marinette had become accustomed to visiting Master Fu.</p><p>She regularly came to him to inquire about his progress in the decoding of the precious book, to formulate various hypotheses about the next attacks of Hawkmoth, or simply to talk about her role as heroine. For her part, Tikki was always happy to go to the old man. While her friend was chatting with Master Fu, she took the opportunity to spend time with Wayzz.</p><p>But despite these frequent visits, Marinette did not know how to contact the Great Guardian other than by going directly to his home.</p><p>So, each time, she dropped by unannounced.</p><p>And each time, she found him either ready to welcome her over a cup of tea, or apologizing for not being able to receive her immediately.</p><p>Marinette did not know if Master Fu guessed instinctively that she was going to come to his house, but he was never absent on the days when she decided to consult him. Never, absolutely <em>never</em>.</p><p>This is why, when she found the door closed one day, the girl was overcome by a strange feeling of unease. The sixth sense - or the seventh, eighth, whatever - that Master Fu seemed to have had for once failed.</p><p>Struggling with the unpleasant feeling that something abnormal was at work, Marinette returned home.</p><p>"He was probably out shopping," she confided to Tikki once they had both returned to her room. "These are things that happen. We just weren't lucky today. "</p><p>"Yes," her kwami approved in her little high-pitched voice. “Don't worry, Marinette. I'm sure he'll be here tomorrow. "</p><p>But the next day, when she returned, Marinette once again found the apartment empty of any occupants.</p><p>As well as the day after.</p><p>And after a week, after going daily to Master Fu's house and inquiring in vain in the neighborhood, the girl came to a chilling conclusion.</p><p>The Great Guardian had disappeared.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It took Marinette another day before she decided to tell Chat Noir. A long and exhausting day spent canvassing the area from one end to the other, going around all the shops in the area to question the owners, coming back to knock every hour on Master Fu's door in the hope that he finally opens it.</p><p>Each passing minute only increased the girl's concern a little more. Of course, Master Fu was the guardian of the knowledge specific to the miraculouses and of the precious jewels in question. But in addition, Marinette had ended up attaching herself to this eccentric old man who had once decreed that she was worthy of being a heroine.</p><p>She hoped with all her heart that nothing bad had happened to him, like an accident or a faintness.</p><p>Or even worse, like an abduction by Hawkmoth.</p><p>An unexpected encounter with a client of the Great Guardian ended up sealing the girl’s anxieties. This man whom she had seen waiting nearly half an hour in front of Master Fu's door told her that he had an appointment with the latter and that he had not been informed of any absence.</p><p>This seemingly innocuous fact only confirmed to Marinette a little more that something abnormal was at work. It was not the old man's habit to ignore his clients like this, and even Tikki agreed that under normal circumstances the Great Guardian would never have left without at least taking the time to cancel his appointments.</p><p>Finally, admitting to having been temporarily defeated, Marinette transformed and sent a brief message to her teammate asking him to join her as soon as possible.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"The great what?” Chat Noir exclaimed, giving his teammate a surprised look.</p><p>"The Great Guardian," Ladybug repeated patiently.</p><p>Sitting on top of a roof, the girl tried to present the situation to her partner as clearly as possible.</p><p>She sketched out a quick portrait of Master Fu, spoke of the preponderant role he had played in their respective careers and, finally, vehemently insisted on this sudden absence which seemed anything but natural.</p><p>No one, absolutely <em>no one</em> seemed to know what had happened of the Great Guardian.</p><p>Neither Tikki, nor the old man's neighbours, nor the shopkeepers he used to go to, nor especially the people he had an appointment with.</p><p>With a passion fed by the anguish that had gnawed at her for too many days already, Ladybug hammered that finding Master Fu was now an absolute urgency. The thought that something terrible had happened to him and that the miraculouses he was guarding had potentially fallen into the wrong hands made her blood run cold.</p><p>They needed to find out what had happened.</p><p>Imperatively.</p><p>"And are you sure he's really gone?" Chat Noir asked dubiously. "He didn't go for a walk around the neighbourhood or something?" "</p><p>"I'm sure," Ladybug replied in a firm voice. “No one has seen him for more than a week. <em>A week</em>, Chat! I just visited him two days before and he never told me about any trip. Even his neighbours don't know where he's been! One day he was there, and the next morning he was gone. "</p><p>Eyes sparkling with fierce conviction, the girl leaned towards her teammate.</p><p>“In other circumstances, I probably won't worry so much. But here we are talking about Master Fu. From the guardian of the <em>miraculouses,</em>” she hammered with absolute certainty. "You know as well as I am how dangerous it can be to have these jewels in your possession. "</p><p>Now convinced, Chat Noir silently nodded. He knew too well how much the miraculouses could stir up lust. Without even bothering to think for more than fifteen seconds, he could easily have cited a dozen people who would have been delighted to get their hands on these objects of power.</p><p>But naturally, one name in particular stood out from all the others in his mind.</p><p>A name, which imposed itself on him with such force that he could not ignore it.</p><p>"Do you think Hawkmoth is behind all of this?" He blurted out in a worried voice.</p><p>"I hope not," Ladybug replied with a shudder of anguish. “I really hope not. "</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For the rest of the afternoon, the two teenagers toured all the hospitals and clinics in the area, looking in vain for a trace of the Great Guardian. Both hoped that their hero status would be enough to loosen tongues and allow them to learn information that might enlighten them about what had happened to the old man, but to no avail.</p><p>Finally, after hours of unsuccessful interrogations, the two teenagers agreed to stop their investigations there. It was late, and it was unlikely that they would learn anything new at this time.</p><p>After one last talk, they separated, promising to meet again the next day to resume their research.</p><p>“See you tomorrow, my Lady!” Chat Noir greeted, propelling himself to a nearby rooftop.</p><p>"See you tomorrow, kitty," Ladybug replied back.</p><p>Turning her back to her partner, the girl moved away. She deftly wrapped her yo-yo around a chimney and jumped forward, rocking from building to building with skill born of long practice. She thus travelled several tens of meters, before finally dropping to the bottom of a small deserted alley.</p><p>After making sure with a quick glance that no one was going to see her, the teenager transformed back and looked down at the small bag she never parted with.</p><p>"We didn't find anything," she whispered to Tikki in a tense voice. “I thought people might talk more easily to Ladybug than to Marinette, but <em>nothing</em>. He really disappeared."</p><p>"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find out what happened to him in the end," Tikki replied in a tone that was meant to be reassuring, but without succeeding in completely concealing her concern. "You and Chat Noir are just beginning your investigation, you will surely find something! Someone must know what happened. "</p><p>"Yes, I hope so..." Marinette sighed resignedly. “But I don't like it. I really don't like it. I wish I had found even one little clue! I feel like I'm completely useless! "</p><p>"Do you want to take one last walk around the neighbourhood before you go home, to see if you spot anything abnormal?" Tikki suggested.</p><p>Nervously biting her lower lip, Marinette nodded mechanically.</p><p>"Yes," she approved in a whisper. “I think I'll do this. "</p><p>Then, without wasting another moment, she walked out of the alley and went to Master Fu's building.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Elegantly perched atop a chimney, Chat Noir gazed around.</p><p>Knowing that the person in charge of the miraculouses was now missing did not reassure the boy, and Ladybug's anguish had proved to be extraordinarily contagious. Too worried to go straight home, Chat Noir had finally decided to take a last look around the neighbourhood to see if he could spot anything suspicious.</p><p>But in vain.</p><p>The hero was about to go home when suddenly his night vision captured a very familiar figure. That of a girl with dark hair divided in two pigtails, which he crossed every day or so.</p><p>Marinette's.</p><p>Chat Noir instinctively shook his head in denial, refusing for a brief moment to believe his eyes. Impossible. It was absolutely <em>impossible</em>. At such a late hour, his classmate had absolutely <em>no</em> <em>reason</em> to find herself wandering the streets of Paris like this. He must have been hallucinating from spending too much time watching the surroundings, from a lack of sleep or from a sudden delusional fever.</p><p>Closing his eyes to try to chase away this incredible mirage, Chat Noir took a deep breath, then slowly reopened his eyelids.</p><p>And immediately, his gaze was again caught by this teenager he recognized too well.</p><p>Marinette.</p><p>Without the slightest possible doubt.</p><p>Mouth unpleasantly dry, Chat Noir leaned forward to better follow his comrade’s wanderings. It was certainly just a simple walk, he tried desperately to convince himself. A night walk, a day before a school day, with twists and turns in the most improbable alleys...</p><p>But quickly, Chat Noir must have come to terms with the idea that he was now witnessing anything but an innocent stroll in the moonlight. He who had desperately searched for something strange during this crazy day was now being rewarded in a very cruel way.</p><p>Marinette was the cutest, most adorable girl he knew.</p><p>Or at least, that he <em>thought</em> he knew.</p><p>Because at this precise moment, it was clear that Marinette's attitude was anything but natural. </p><p>His classmate was now venturing into alleys that he himself would not have dared to walk in broad daylight, while glancing furtively around her as if for fear of being recognized.</p><p>With his stomach in a knot, Chat Noir watched the girl for long minutes.</p><p>In this dark case of disappearance, he could certainly have dealt with any suspect. Chloe. Mr. Damocles. Even Alya. But <em>Marinette</em>? He refused to believe it.</p><p>Ultimately deciding that he couldn't continue without confiding in his kwami, Chat Noir took cover in the shade of a building and transformed back. He had already done the same earlier in the day to discuss with Plagg the mysterious absence of the Great Guardian.</p><p>Now it was time to talk about Marinette.</p><p>"Plagg, what the hell is she doing here?" He whispered in an almost imploring voice.</p><p>Hopefully his kwami might see a logical explanation for this situation, the meaning of which was still eluding him.</p><p>But alas, the hopes of the young man were quickly dashed.</p><p>"Who knows," Plagg replied with the most perfect indifference. “Maybe she's out for a walk. Maybe she's s for shopping. Maybe she kidnaps old people to smuggle old people. How do you want me to know? "</p><p>"Thanks for your help," Adrien retorted sarcastically.</p><p>"Hey, <em>you're</em> the hero," Plagg replied with a haughty little snort. "I give you your powers, you do the rest. "</p><p>As a defeated look painted on Adrien's features, the kwami finally seemed to take pity on the boy.</p><p>"Just go and see for yourself what it is, as Adrien," he said in an encouraging voice. “Maybe there is something that you missed from above. Maybe it’s nothing serious. "</p><p>As the boy continued to discuss with his kwami the best approach to take, a soft pink glow appeared unbeknownst to him a few streets away, just before a slim figure soared up to the rooftops.</p><p>And as Adrien began to wander through the streets of the capital, a young heroine who was preparing to go home until then looked at him in astonishment.</p><p>"... <em>Adrien?</em> " </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi again !<br/>So, as I said, I may continue to translate some of my fics, but I have so many that I will probably never have the courage to do them all! (I have 32 completed MLB fanfics in French. In total, more than 150 chapters. That's way too much for me xD )</p><p>So, I was wondering if there were any stories that you would like me to translate more than others?</p><p>Here are the summaries of some of my fics, feel free to tell me if there are any that you are interested in. Everything is not here, but I think it's a good stard x) .</p><p>- Révélations<br/>Adrien never dreamed that he would someday hear a shy "I am Ladybug" confessed by one of his classmates, in the middle of their classroom and in front of all the other students.<br/>= 7 chapters, identity reveal, romance, friendship, Lila's lies are exposed</p><p>- À coeur ouvert<br/>If Marinette were to describe her life, she would call it "relatively normal". Apart from a few details, of course, like her secret identity and her role as a superheroine. But outside of that, nothing very extraordinary. Ladybug fights crime, and the girl under the mask lives her quiet student life. Well, until that fateful day.<br/>= 51 chapters (ahah...), identity reveal, mature content, aged-up characters, angst with a happy ending</p><p>- Problèmes de couples<br/>Marinette is single and everyone around her agrees that it is high time she finally date someone. With Adrien, for example.<br/>But will Marinette be receptive to the attempts of her relatives to interfere with her love life?<br/>= 5 chapters, identity reveal, misunderstanding, aged-up characters, fake dating, social pressure</p><p>- Inquiétudes fraternelles<br/>In the Agreste family, there is Adrien. And there is also Félix. His brother, who wants nothing more than a normal life and the happiness of his loved ones.<br/>But with the presence of the miraculous of a certain Chat Noir, things quickly take an unexpected turn.<br/>= 29 chapters, alternate universe, brothers AU, written before season 3, identity reveal</p><p>- À bout de souffle<br/>Often, Marinette thought back to the day she and Chat Noir had finally defeated Hawkmoth. It should have been their moment of glory, the pinnacle of a heroic career.<br/>On the contrary, it had been the beginning of a long and painful descent into hell.<br/>= 8 chapters, identity reveal, angst with a happy ending, post hawkmoth defeat, aged-up characters<br/>This work is a part of a serie. There are 3 other fics related to it, if I translate this one I'll likely tranlate the whole serie.</p><p>- Parmi les dieux<br/>The creature that Ladybug and Chat Noir faced was unlike any other adversary they had ever faced. She even resembled them so little that an agonizing thought gradually imposed itself on the two heroes.<br/>What if this new enemy had nothing to do with Hawkmoth?<br/>= 16 chapters, identity reveal, angst with a happy ending, time travel</p><p>- Pour cette fois<br/>Alya has plans for Marinette's night out, and there's no point in arguing with Alya.<br/>Even when the plan in question is to attend a party specially organized for singles. And what's more, a masked party.<br/>= 8 chapters, identity reveal, mature content, aged-up characters</p><p>- Mauvais esprit<br/>Ladybug may be an experienced heroine, sometimes things don't go as planned. Protecting Paris requires having to face unforeseen situations, to show alertness, superhuman reflexes...<br/>And sometimes that also means having to cooperate with a… rather unusual partner.<br/>= 3 chapters, identity reveal, humor</p><p>- Le royaume des ombres<br/>Marinette carefully observes her fragile reflection in her mirror.<br/>For months now, she has been fighting under the identity of Ladybug, and nothing in her appearance suggests the violence of the battles she must regularly fight to protect Paris. Only dark circles and her tired face betray the increasingly difficult consequences of her double life.<br/>Her fabulous power heals the bodies, but leaves her the mind in pieces.<br/>= 1 chapter, angst with a hopeful ending, identity reveal</p><p>- Un soir d'été<br/>Marinette was comfortably installed on her sofa, in her small Parisian apartment. She distractedly watched TV while sipping a cold drink. A soft snore caught her attention, reminding her that she was not alone.<br/>= 30 chapters, aged-up characters, alternate universe, no powers, slice of life</p><p>That's it ! Let me know if there are any stories that you want me to translate more than others :) .</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Marinette was thinking hard, an expression of deep perplexity painted on her face. Sitting on her bed, staring into space, she frowned while biting her lower lip mechanically.</p><p>"I don't understand," she finally blurted out to Tikki's attention. "It's really strange. "</p><p>"What?” Her kwami worried.</p><p>"Adrien," Marinette replied. “I saw him earlier near Master Fu's house and he shouldn't have been there. Especially not at this hour. "</p><p>"Maybe he was coming back from a photoshoot?" Tikki suggested in his little fluted voice. "Or one of his classes?" "</p><p>"Impossible," Marinette retorted, mechanically shaking her head from side to side. “I know his schedule by heart and normally he should have been home tonight. He had no reason to be there. Absolutely <em>none</em>,” she concludes, letting herself fall back onto her mattress.</p><p>Rolling on herself, the girl lay on her side and plunged back into her thoughts.</p><p>The memory of Adrien continued to haunt her, refusing to let her mind focus on anything else. It was useless to fight, she was perfectly aware of it. What could her classmate do when she saw him in the streets of Paris? Marinette knew this question would torture her until she got a satisfactory answer.</p><p>Was he coming back from class?</p><p>No. Impossible.</p><p>Their school was closed for many hours. Adrien didn't have a piano lesson that day. His Chinese teacher was away for the week, and he didn't have fencing for two days.</p><p>Clearly, his classes could not be the reason why he had been so far from home.</p><p>Sighing heavily, Marinette continued to delve into her memory.</p><p>The almost obsessive affection she felt for Adrien pushed her to keep abreast of the boy’s every move. As she had rightly pointed out to Tikki just moments before, she knew with disturbing precision where and when he was supposed to be.</p><p>But there, her ethically questionable knowledge was of little help.</p><p>Adrien was not coming back from school.</p><p>He didn't have a photoshoot.</p><p>No appointment with the hairdresser, the dentist, or any other practitioner whatsoever.</p><p>Still, there was definitely something.</p><p>A logical explanation which still escaped her and which would perfectly justify the presence of her classmate at such a place at such an hour.</p><p>But alas, in addition to her knowledge, Marinette's beautiful imagination was also sorely lacking. No matter how much she solicited her neurons, no matter how much she dig into the deepest recesses of her mind, only the most absurd hypotheses appeared to her.</p><p>Why had Adrien found himself wandering around Paris at such an hour, without a car or bodyguard?</p><p>Was he coming back from an appointment that would have escaped Marinette's vigilance?</p><p>Was he running away from journalists or from one of his many fans?</p><p>Was he on the run? Sick? Suffering from a sudden crisis of dementia, had he found himself prey to a hallucination of such intensity that she had pushed him to leave this room where his father liked to lock him up?</p><p>Or, in the grip of a sudden craving, had he started looking for some convenience store or restaurant?</p><p>Marinette ran a weary hand across her face and let out a frustrated growl.</p><p>It was useless. No matter how much she twisted and turned her brain, no logical explanation came to her mind.</p><p>And even worse. She had just wasted her time and energy wondering about the comings and goings of her great love, when she had far more important things to do. She had to find out what happened to the Great Guardian.</p><p>But as usual when it came to Adrien, she had lost all sense of reality.</p><p>She had focused only on her classmate, when there was no way he was related in any way to Master's disappearance...</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Marinette stood up abruptly, as though being crossed by a violent electric discharge.</p><p>Master Fu.</p><p>Adrien.</p><p>Two names that she had just associated by chance and which were now dancing in her mind, turning and turning like a haunting ritual.</p><p>And following the thread of this hellish dance, a new hypothesis was now emerging under the girl's skull. A horrible, frightening hypothesis. A hypothesis that Marinette was trying to push back with all her strength and which imposed itself on her despite everything.</p><p>A hypothesis which suddenly shed light on Adrien's presence in a new light.</p><p>Marinette jumped up and began to pace her room under the worried gaze of her kwami.</p><p>Torn from all those comfortable certainties that were still hers a few minutes earlier, the girl now felt feverish. Her face was the perfect mirror of these emotions that crossed her in these moments of confusion, passing through all the nuances of colour that it was possible for her to reach.</p><p>Her complexion dangerously pale and then a worrying bright red, Marinette continued to pace, thinking harder than ever.</p><p>Master Fu.</p><p>Adrien.</p><p>The sudden disappearance of the old man.</p><p>The strange wanderings of his classmate.</p><p>These two events could not be linked.</p><p>It was impossible.</p><p>Rigorously, radically, definitely <em>impossible</em>.</p><p>Marinette categorically refused the idea that the love of her life could have any connection with Hawkmoth, let alone the inexplicable absence of the Great Guardian. Adrien was the nicest person in the world, he couldn't be involved in such a sordid affair.</p><p>But yet...</p><p>That Adrien suddenly began to show a strange behaviour, even though Master Fu had just disappeared...</p><p>The coincidence was too obvious to be ignored.</p><p>And it didn't matter what Marinette's state of mind was. She was Ladybug. She had to rule out no hypothesis, no matter painful it might be.</p><p>So, for many more minutes, the girl continued to pace in her room, dissecting this terrifying hypothesis with as much relentlessness as despair. But each passing moment only plunged her a little deeper into the abyss of distress into which she was sinking.</p><p>The more Marinette thought about it, the more unlikely it seemed to her that Adrien had found himself wandering near the Great Guardian's for the simple pleasure of a walk in the moonlight.</p><p>Something strange was at work, it was a certainty.</p><p>As to what exactly...</p><p>Marinette's boundless imagination was racing now, making her considering all the worst possible scenarios. Adrien in search of the precious secrets of the miraculouses. Adrien in the guise of Hawkmoth. Adrien in the grip of a sudden murderous madness.</p><p>She was nauseous.</p><p>A violent headache was now pulsing under her skull, making her feel like her brain was on the verge of exploding.</p><p>"Marinette?” Tikki asked in a worried voice. "Is everything alright? "</p><p>At this simple question, Marinette burst into a hysterical laugh.</p><p>No.</p><p>Everything was <em>not</em> all right.</p><p>"I don't understand," she whispered in a hoarse voice. “I don't understand what Adrien was doing in the middle of the night near Master Fu's house. "</p><p>"Marinette, don't panic..." Tikki replied in a soothing voice. "There is certainly a logical explanation for all this."</p><p>"But which one?” The girl moaned, refusing for the moment to formulate aloud the awful assumption that had germinated in her brain. "He had no class, no appointment, and he couldn't come back from Nino's as it wasn't the right path at all,” she hammered in despair, unable to interrupt the deluge of words that her distraught mind encouraged. “I don't understand, Tikki. I really don’t understand... "</p><p>Finally cutting the thread of her speech, Marinette gave Tikki a desperate look, silently begging her to provide an explanation that might allay her fears. But to her great dismay, her kwami looked just as puzzled as she was.</p><p>"Oh, Marinette...", Tikki said in a sorry tone.</p><p>Suddenly uncomfortably tight throat, Marinette swallowed hard.</p><p>"What about Master Fu?" She finally resumed, unable to talk about Adrien any longer. "Couldn’t we go straight to his house and find a clue? You can go through his door, right? "</p><p>Despite her concern, the girl had until then always refused to force the privacy of the Great Guardian's home.</p><p>But the circumstances had changed drastically.</p><p>She needed to know if her worries about Adrien were only the fruit of her feverish imagination or if they were just the beginnings of a much darker discovery. With any luck, she would find that all this was a terrible misunderstanding, and that her nightmarish assumptions were just ravings.</p><p>But Tikki shook her head sadly, sounding the death knell for her hopes.</p><p>"Master Fu is a careful person," she explained to her. “Hawkmoth also has a miraculous, which means he has a kwami with the same powers as me. His apartment is protected by a magic barrier. I have no way to get in. "</p><p>The silence that settled between the two friends following this revelation only accentuated Marinette's feeling of unease. The girl felt her chest compress a little more second by second. The air seemed heavy, sticky, unbreathable. It crept into her throat like a syrupy liquid, choking her lungs.</p><p>Adrien's strange attitude could not be related to the mysterious absence of the Great Guardian.</p><p>It was impossible.</p><p>But the shock of this terrible idea refused to fade, continuing to shake her to the depths of her bones.</p><p>"Do... do you believe Adrien may be linked to Master Fu's disappearance?" She suddenly heard herself asking in a hoarse voice.</p><p>In response, Tikki let out a horrified gasp that made the girl's blood run colder.</p><p>"It's not possible," hammered the teenager with conviction mixed with despair, without waiting for her kwami to speak again. "It’s <em>not</em> possible. "</p><p>Marinette was convinced that Adrien couldn't be Hawkmoth.</p><p>But... his accomplice, perhaps?</p><p>Indifferent to the distress into which it was plunging her owner, Marinette's imagination continued to ruthlessly construct hypotheses that the young girl still refused to believe.</p><p>The Great Guardian had already vanished into the wild. Kidnapped, on the run, or worse. If Adrien had been an accomplice in this atrocious crime, thought desperately Marinette, then there should be no reason to still prowl near the scene of the drama.</p><p>Quite the contrary. If he had anything to do with this story, then he would have been in his best interest to get as far away from the old man's home as possible.</p><p>But before disappearing, it was quite possible that Master Fu had concealed his precious miraculouses in the surroundings to keep them out of the reach of malicious people.</p><p>And, Marinette realized in a last burst of horror, it was just as possible that Adrien was looking for them now.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Trying to ignore the dull hammering of her heart, Marinette took a deep breath.</p><p>She felt her stomach twist on itself, expressing all the revulsion she felt at the idea that Adrien could be the ally of her worst enemy. The violent migraine which pulsed under her skull and the uncontrollable tremors which agitated her body only accentuated her feeling of discomfort.</p><p>The prospect of having to accomplish her mission had never plunged her into such a state, and even Tikki's heart-warming words failed to calm her down.</p><p>In those moments of despair, Marinette needed more than her kwami.</p><p>She needed to talk to someone who could put himself in her shoes. To someone to whom she knew she could confide sincerely about the torments that heroes sometimes went through. To someone who can make her smile even in the worst of times.</p><p>She needed to talk to Chat Noir.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Finally, unable to stand it anymore, Marinette turned to Tikki to ask her to transform her. If her luck had not definitely run away her on that dark evening, perhaps Chat Noir would still be reachable.</p><p>Once transformed, the young heroine went to settle down on her bed, snuggled up comfortably against her cushions and called her teammate.</p><p>To her great relief, the latter only took a few seconds to respond.</p><p>"Hey," she whispered to him in a small voice.</p><p>"Hey," Chat Noir replied in the same tone.</p><p>Ladybug looked at the screen of her yo-yo and felt the grip that constricted her chest tighten even more.</p><p>She had hoped her teammate's legendary good mood would cheer her up, but Chat Noir looked just as downcast as she was.</p><p>"It’s good that you’re calling," he said, interrupting her train of thought. "I wanted to ask you something. "</p><p>"Yes?” She encouraged him mechanically.</p><p>“Regarding the disappearance of the Great Guardian,” the boy continued hesitantly, “We said we should pay attention to anything strange, and I... I was wondering. "</p><p>No longer trusting her own voice as her throat tightened with every second of the conversation, Ladybug nodded to encourage her teammate to continue.</p><p>"If you saw somebody prowling in the neighbourhood...", resumed Chat Noir, oblivious to his partner’s distress. "Someone who should never have been out at such a time... Would you consider this person to be someone suspicious?" "</p><p>Chat Noir's few words struck Ladybug like a stab to the heart.</p><p>Someone who should never have been out at such a time.</p><p>This description reminded her all too well of Adrien, and his strange presence in the streets of Paris a few moments earlier.</p><p>Fluttering her eyelids quickly in an attempt to contain the tears that came to her eyes, Ladybug mechanically clenched her fingers around her yo-yo.</p><p>"D-Did... Did you spot someone?" She whispered in a little voice.</p><p>On her screen, she saw Chat Noir nervously run his hand on the back of his neck.</p><p>"I don't know..." he breathed out, his gaze fleeing from hers. "It's just... We told ourselves that we should pay attention to anything that seemed abnormal to us, and the person I saw... But Master Fu has already disappeared!” He exclaimed in a voice vibrating with despair, looking up at his teammate again. "If he's already been kidnapped, then why would anyone come back to where he lives? It doesn’t make sense!"</p><p>Ladybug's throat tightened and she swallowed mechanically. She recognized all too well this disbelief, this denial, this difficulty in realizing that someone above all suspicion could in reality be concealing a much darker side than they let at first glance.</p><p>Her own thoughts had already followed the same path just moments before.</p><p>"Master Fu may have hidden the miraculouses around," she articulated painfully.</p><p>Ignoring the stunned look that Chat Noir gave her, Ladybug ran her hand down her neck. Each word seemed as heavy as lead to her, painfully climbing her throat to barely pass her lips.</p><p>"We both know how dangerous the miraculouses can be if they fall into the wrong hands," she said grimly. “I think that before he disappeared, Master Fu made sure to put them to safety. "</p><p>The girl paused slightly, then picked up the thread of her speech in a strangled voice.</p><p>"And if you see someone hanging out around his house when they have nothing to do there..."</p><p>"... it’s that the someone in question is surely looking for the miraculouses," added Chat Noir bitterly.</p><p>Not having the heart to immediately resume the conversation, Ladybug let a moment of silence settle between her and her teammate. The girl mechanically drummed her fingers on her thigh, in the grip of a deep dilemma.</p><p>Chat Noir had seen someone.</p><p>Adrien, most certainly.</p><p>Ladybug knew she had to tell her partner that she too had surprised the young model near Master Fu's house, and that he was now her only suspect. But for now, she didn't feel the strength to make such a confession.</p><p>Evoking Adrien with Chat Noir would only make his terrible discovery more real, more concrete.</p><p>And above all, infinitely crueller.</p><p>Ladybug's heart had already broken into a million pieces. The wound was still too fresh for the girl to survive another assault. Talking about this fallen love would only give her the final blow, she was sure.</p><p>Ladybug refused to talk about Adrien. However, she could not decently leave her partner in the dark. So, before her courage definitively fled her, she spoke again.</p><p>" I saw someone too..." she admitted in a whisper. “Someone who had nothing to do near the Great Guardian's. "</p><p>Unable to continue any longer, Ladybug stopped abruptly.</p><p>She couldn't pronounce Adrien's name.</p><p>It was too painful. Too difficult.</p><p>Just... too much.</p><p>But luckily for her, Chat Noir hardly tried to get more information from her. Obviously just as tortured as she was, the young man shook his head and let out a heavy sigh.</p><p>"I think we're talking about the same person," he confided sadly. "But I... If that's okay with you, I'd rather investigate first." "</p><p>"Yes," Ladybug agreed with relief. "So do I. "</p><p>If she had to expose Adrien’s guilt, she’d rather do it at her own pace.</p><p>Just long enough to get used to this unacceptable idea.</p><p>Just long enough to spare her wounded heart.</p><p>Suddenly, the pained expression that had not left Chat Noir's face since the beginning of their conversation changed, the boy’s features suddenly hardening.</p><p>"My Lady, be careful," he begged her, concern and determination showing in his voice. "If we spotted the same suspect, then... then it’s someone who covers their track much better than I ever imagined." If you notice any change in behaviour, beware. "</p><p>Heart at the edge of her lips, Ladybug mechanically nodded.</p><p>"Yes," she agreed in a trembling voice. "You too, be careful. "</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next day, it was with a heavy head and an even heavier heart that Marinette went to her school.</p><p>The idea that Adrien might be Hawkmoth's accomplice had tormented her all night, preventing her from sleeping. For the very first time in her life, she wanted anything but to see her lovely classmate. She only wanted one thing: to drop to her bed like a stone, curl up in a ball and cry to her heart’s content, hoping to finally wake up from this nightmare.</p><p>But unfortunately for her, she could not afford this luxury.</p><p>She was Ladybug.</p><p>His mission came before her feelings, however painful they might be.</p><p>So, faithful as much to her principles as to the word she had given to Chat Noir, she would investigate Adrien.</p><p>And with any luck, she repeated herself with an optimism that she was far from feeling, she would discover that all this was a terrible misunderstanding.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sitting at his desk, Adrien nervously twirled a pen between his fingers.</p><p>He kept rehashing the events of the day before, thinking and re-thinking about all these incidents which had gradually thrown his life into chaos.</p><p>The disappearance of Master Fu. Ladybug's legitimate concerns. The fate of the miraculouses previously in the possession of the old man.</p><p>And above all, <em>Marinette</em>.</p><p>Marinette whom he had seen in the streets of Paris at an impossible hour. Marinette who had no reason to be so far from home in the middle of the night. Marinette whose strange attitude raised questions he would never have wanted to ask himself.</p><p>Adrien refused to believe that Marinette could be Hawkmoth’s ally.</p><p>Impossible.</p><p>It was impossible.</p><p>The day before, when Ladybug had called him, Chat noir had hoped for a moment that she would be able to erase his doubts. Perhaps she would have given him a new lead. Perhaps she would have had a convincing explanation for the incongruous presence of someone near Master Fu's house. Perhaps she would even have announced to him to have found the Great Guardian.</p><p>But alas, their brief conversation only rekindled the young hero's fears a little more.</p><p>As Ladybug had rightly pointed out, Adrien could not immediately exclude the possibility that the miraculouses were concealed by Master Fu before his disappearance, nor the person he and his teammate both seemed to suspect was looking for these missing jewels.</p><p>So, willy-nilly, he would investigate Marinette.</p><p>Even though the mere thought of his friend being guilty broke his heart.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Surprising the startled glance that Nino gave him, Adrien forced himself to drop the pen he had been roughing up for far too long minutes. He gave his friend a fake natural smile, then turned his attention to the classroom door.</p><p>Marinette was certainly about to arrive.</p><p>The mere thought that he would soon be facing her filled Adrien with a confused mixture of nervous tension, apprehension and despair. Tense like a bowstring, muscles clenched with expectation, the boy breathed a deep sigh to try to keep his calm.</p><p>Part of him ardently wished Marinette would appear immediately to dispel as quickly as possible what he hoped to be a cruel misunderstanding, another hoped that she would never again appear before him again.</p><p>The situation was unbearable.</p><p>And worst of all, Adrien did not know how to confirm or deny these suspicions which had plagued him since the day before.</p><p>He couldn't decently go to Marinette and nonchalantly give her a <em>"Hey, hi, aren't you by any chance the accomplice of an evil genius? Like <strong>Hawkmoth</strong>, for example?".</em></p><p>No.</p><p>Definitely no.</p><p>Although having the merit of being as direct as possible, this approach was far too risky to be considered. Marinette should <em>never</em> guess that he suspected her. Not until he was sure she was indeed not involved in the Great Guardian's disappearance.</p><p>Instead, Adrien had to trust his observation skills.</p><p>He was going to have to analyze Marinette's behaviour carefully, to watch for any unusual attitude.</p><p>And then, if luck was with him, he would <em>know</em>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The classroom door opened suddenly, bringing Adrien back to the present moment.</p><p>As if drawn by a magnet, the boy's gaze fixed itself on the face of the person who had just entered.</p><p>On <em>Marinette</em> .</p><p>Heart pounding, Adrien forced himself to act as naturally as possible.</p><p>Nodding his head in welcome.</p><p>Raising the arm.</p><p>Giving a little wave of the hand.</p><p>Articulating a "<em>Hello</em>" that sounded in his ears as if it had been spoken by another person.</p><p>And above all, above <em>all</em>, he must not betray himself.</p><p>If Marinette was really the accomplice of Hawkmoth, then she was much more dangerous than he ever thought possible. She must absolutely <em>not</em> know that he had surprised her the day before, let alone guess that he was Chat noir.</p><p>Standing in the doorway, Marinette paused briefly. She responded to her classmate's greeting with a tight smile, then walked to her seat with an oddly stiff gait.</p><p>Once the girl seated at her desk, Adrien had to use all his willpower not to turn to her.</p><p>Staying natural.</p><p>He <em>absolutely</em> had to. <em>Stay</em>. <em>Natural</em>.</p><p>Sighing deeply, the teen leaned over to his bag and began to pull out the rest of his school stuff.</p><p>It was going to be a long day.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As the hours passed, Adrien's forecasts proved to be extremely accurate. Classes, recreation, the lunch break were all stretching unbearably, and his observations did nothing to help him get through this hellish day faster.</p><p>Until then, Adrien had never really paid attention to Marinette's attitude. Not with so much application, at least.</p><p>Oh sure, he had always cared about her. She was one of his closest friends - at least, that's what he still liked to believe for the moment - and her well-being had always mattered to him. He had always made sure to listen when she felt the urge to confide, to support her when she needed it, to come to her aid when circumstances demanded it.</p><p>However, he had never scrutinized the slightest of his actions so thoroughly.</p><p>And for the moment, Adrien wasn't sure that he was satisfied with the outcome of his observations.</p><p>Not that he didn't notice anything, on the contrary. But for now, the little he had observed was far from reassuring him.</p><p>Adrien was not completely blind. He had noticed for a long time that Marinette was often a little feverish around him, and that she sometimes seemed to have trouble getting her thoughts in order when he was around. It was a fact he had grown used to and that he now considered a natural part of their relationship.</p><p>Today, however, things had changed. Adrien was sure of it. Far from being slightly nervous, Marinette now seemed extremely tense. Her smiles, admittedly a little stiff but sincere, had given way to forced grimaces, and her jerky gestures gave the impression that she was at every moment on the verge of a nervous breakdown.</p><p>But the worst was the expression that had taken place on her face.</p><p>Adrien used to see Marinette with a dreamy look. A look sparkling with joy. A look sparkling with enthusiasm.</p><p>There, her gaze on him could not clearly be described by any of these qualifiers. </p><p>Each time Adrien tried to take a discreet look at his classmate, he discovered a dark face and eyes as hard as gems. And when she thought he didn't notice her, Marinette scrutinized him so intensely that Adrien had shivers of apprehension.</p><p>Suddenly uncomfortable, the boy felt his stomach twist unpleasantly on itself.</p><p>Marinette's behaviour was strange. Undoubtedly strange.</p><p>And as unpleasant as the idea was, Adrien was beginning to think that it was more and more likely that his suspicions about her were justified.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>On Marinette's side, things weren't much brighter.</p><p>It had been several days since the young girl had paid Adrien as much attention as usual. Concerned about Master Fu's disappearance, she had spent more time speculating on the fate of the old man rather than admiring the great love of her life.</p><p>Now Marinette was concentrating on her classmate again. She dissected the slightest of her movements, analyzed the smallest of her gestures, studied it even more relentlessly than usual.</p><p>And far from dragging her into an ocean of bliss as they usually did, these observations plunged her into growing unease.</p><p>Adrien had always been a serious boy, she knew that. A shy, reserved teenager in whom the desire to do well was like second nature.</p><p>But today Marinette noted that he seemed particularly concerned.</p><p>Tense, even.</p><p>Oh sure, it was subtle. Anyone else probably wouldn't have noticed a real change in the young model's attitude, but Marinette couldn't be wrong. She knew her classmate too well to be mistaken. She had spent too many hours lovingly contemplating the slightest of his actions, too much time storing in her mind a thousand little things from his daily life, too many nights and days to accumulating these memories like so many precious treasures.</p><p>She knew Adrien <em>by heart</em> .</p><p>And now...</p><p>That hand he was running nervously on the back of his neck - well, <em>much</em> more often than usual.</p><p>This tension betrayed by the stiffness of his shoulders.</p><p>That sinister expression she didn't recognize in him.</p><p>Those sharp glances he threw around him.</p><p>Yes, Marinette was sure. Adrien's attitude had changed.</p><p>And it did not take more to continue to stir up her suspicions.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>At the end of this long and painful day, Marinette's already fragile morale had finally reached abysmal depths.</p><p>Still refusing to believe in Adrien's potential guilt, she had pushed her investigation a little further. After all, it was entirely possible that his classmate had a good reason for being in a killing mood today.</p><p>A reason <em>other</em> than a lack of sleep linked to his nocturnal walks or the frustration of not being able to get his hands on the miraculouses that Master Fu had certainly concealed.</p><p>Perhaps he had lost a fencing championship.</p><p>Perhaps he had received yet another rebuff from his father.</p><p>Maybe he had got a bad mark on some test Marinette didn't know existed.</p><p>But Marinette might have discreetly questioned her teachers and Nino, and even called on Alya's help, nothing. Not an explanation, not the slightest reason that could have explained Adrien's subtle change in behaviour.</p><p>Just <em>nothing</em>.</p><p>Nothing but Marinette’s cruel suspicions, and the growing certainty that Adrien was somehow linked to the disappearance of the Great Guardian.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Once back home, Marinette spent many more minutes pacing in her room.</p><p>The thought that Adrien was Hawkmoth's accomplice made her sick. <em>Physically</em> sick. She felt nauseous and her head seemed so heavy that she would not have been surprised if she had noticed that she was having a sudden fever.</p><p>If she had listened to herself, Marinette would have holed up in her house rather than facing this grim reality.</p><p>But she had to do her duty. So, with a heavy heart, she decided to contact Chat Noir to tell him the result of her investigations.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Barely half an hour later, the two heroes found themselves on a roof which was out of sight.</p><p>If Ladybug's heart was at half-mast, she still hoped that seeing her teammate would give her some semblance of comfort. But far from the energetic and lively boy that he usually was, it was a particularly dejected Chat Noir who made his appearance.</p><p>Rarely had Ladybug seen her partner in such a sinister mood.</p><p>First of all, he just greeted her with a small wave of his hand instead of cheerfully shouting at her as he did every time he saw her. Then, without adding another word, he sank down heavily to her side, ears sadly flattened to his head and a long face.</p><p>This vision only broke Ladybug’s heart a little more.</p><p>She didn't like feeling miserable, but she hated seeing her teammate so demoralized even more.</p><p>Without saying anything, she reached out her hand to him and rested it on his arm in silent comfort. Her gesture was rewarded with a weak smile from Chat noir, who gently covered her fingers with his and squeezed them lightly in thanks.</p><p>However furtive it was, this brief moment of complicity had at least the merit of comforting the two heroes a little.</p><p>Still seated next to each other, Chat noir and Ladybug remained like this for a moment, simply enjoying this brief moment of peace. Both still wore a sullen expression though, and neither was in a hurry to bring up the subject that had brought them together.</p><p>Then, after a long time, Chat Noir finally decided to break this heavy silence.</p><p>"So, your research?” He began in a hesitant voice.</p><p>Holding back a grimace of despair, Ladybug forced herself to keep an impassive expression.</p><p>"Conclusive," she replied briefly, reluctant to dwell on this painful subject. "What about yours? "</p><p>"Conclusive too," he replied, sighing heavily. "I watched the person I – <em>we</em> suspect," he said, looking up at Ladybug to beg for her approval.</p><p>Seeing his teammate nodding slightly, he continued his speech.</p><p>“I watched our suspect all day and I… it was different from usual” He said, running his hand nervously on the back of his neck. "There is clearly something abnormal going on," he concluded in a dark voice.</p><p>"I came to the same conclusions as you," Ladybug blurted out. "I... I have studied this person very carefully too and... Something is wrong. It's obvious."</p><p>Throat tight, the girl swallows painfully.</p><p>"I think we have found who serves as an accomplice to Hawkmoth," she continued in a trembling voice.</p><p>The two heroes exchanged a final look, before concluding in a breath:</p><p>“ <em>Marinette Dupain-Cheng.</em>"</p><p>“<em>Adrien Agreste. </em>"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>startled silence followed the declarations of the two heroes. Her anguish suddenly forgotten, Ladybug stared at Chat Noir with wide eyes in surprise.</p><p>She must have heard wrong.</p><p>It was absolutely impossible that Chat Noir had said HER name.</p><p>“M-Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” She repeated, stunned. “You suspect <em>Marinette Dupain-Cheng</em>?"</p><p>Paralyzed with surprise, Chat Noir remained motionless for a moment. His mouth slightly open, his eyebrows comically arched upwards, everything in his posture betrayed the greatest astonishment.</p><p>Then, after a few seconds of this dazed stupor, he mechanically nodded.</p><p>"Yes," he blurted out in a curiously detached tone, as if still struggling to realize that this strange conversation was not the fruit of his imagination. "And you," he resumed more firmly, "you ... Do you think that Adrien Agreste is the accomplice of Hawkmoth? "</p><p>"Of course!” Ladybug exclaimed mechanically, still in shock.</p><p>She still struggled to believe in the absurdity of the situation.</p><p>How? How could she and Chat Noir have come to that?</p><p>" 'Of course'?” Her teammate repeated in an incredulous voice. " 'Of course'? I thought we had the same suspect all along! "</p><p>"That was before you told me <em>your</em> suspect was Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" Ladybug cried in a desperate exclamation, raising her arms dramatically to the sky the better to mark her incomprehension. “I… I don't understand. Why? Why her? It's... It's... "</p><p>She paused abruptly, struggling to find a qualifier that would fully express her opinion on the matter.</p><p>Impossible?</p><p>Absurd?</p><p>Grotesque?</p><p>" It's <em>ridiculous</em>! », She finally concludes.</p><p>"No more ridiculous than suspecting Adrien Agreste," retorted Chat Noir, suddenly on the defensive.</p><p>"It's him," Ladybug replied stubbornly. “Marinette cannot be linked to the disappearance of Master Fu. "</p><p>This categorical statement definitively brought Chat Noir out of his state of stupor. He got up with a fluid gesture, immediately imitated by his teammate.</p><p>"Oh, is it?” He said, crossing his arms defiantly. "Can you give me one reason why Marinette would be innocent? I saw her prowling near Master Fu's house in the middle of the night. And today, I watched her for a good part of the day. I can tell you that her attitude was not natural. "</p><p>Not that Chat Noir was absolutely sure that Marinette was guilty. Quite the contrary. He still had doubts, hopes, observations to make. But he could not help feeling offended to see his Lady dismiss this hypothesis as if nothing had happened to go after Adrien's possible guilt.</p><p>And especially since he was particularly well placed to know that <em>Adrien Agreste</em> had nothing to do with the disappearance of the Great Guardian.</p><p>These two facts combined gave him the - legitimate - desire to defend his alter-ego, regardless of the means.</p><p>For her part, Ladybug could not have been more upset by her partner’s little speech.</p><p>Chat Noir was wrong. It was evident. She didn't know why, how, by what unfortunate coincidence, but her teammate had obviously completely missed Adrien's presence, only to surprise her while she was exploring the neighbourhood.</p><p>And now he was visibly convinced that she was linked to the disappearance of the Great Guardian.</p><p>It was a disaster.</p><p>A real disaster.</p><p>Oscillating between panic, disbelief and despair, Ladybug began to think hard. Her brain was working at full speed under her skull, sparking idea after idea to find a way to defuse this catastrophe.</p><p>She had to convince Chat Noir of her innocence.</p><p>Or at least, she had to make him admit the possible guilt of Adrien. Out of the question for the young heroine to let her teammate get lost on a false trail. They had to find Master Fu as soon as possible and every second that Chat Noir would spend investigating her alter-ego would be wasted time.</p><p>But on the other hand, Ladybug couldn't afford to explain to her teammate why she was so certain that Marinette couldn't be guilty. Nor could she tell him the real reasons for her presence in the streets of Paris the night before.</p><p>Impossible to sacrifice her secret in this way.</p><p>She had no choice but to camp to her positions, and pray that Chat Noir would eventually admit that Adrien couldn't be removed from the list of suspects.</p><p>"Adrien can never leave his house without his bodyguard, and yet he was alone," she explained in a voice she hoped to be persuasive. “Just that, it's weird. Why would he sneak out if it wasn't to do something shady? And I watched him today, he looked tense, suspicious... If he was innocent, he wouldn't behave like that!” She suddenly concludes, unable to argue any longer.</p><p>Ladybug absolutely had to convince Chat Noir, but every word she spoke gave her the impression of tearing her own heart in half.</p><p>She never thought she would have to plead the possible guilt of her great love. She loved Adrien. She still loved him, against her own convictions and against all common sense.</p><p>But she couldn't afford the slightest weakness.</p><p>Chat Noir had to give up Marinette's trail.</p><p>"He was surely coming back from an overnight photoshoot," the hero counterattacked mercilessly, oblivious to the moral dilemma in which his partner was plunged. "Or, he just wanted to get some fresh air between two photos. Marinette, on the other han ... "</p><p>In frustration, Ladybug stamped furiously on the ground.</p><p>Why did Chat Noir refuse to listen to her? Why did he refuse to understand?</p><p>"Adrien didn't have any appointment, I'm sure," she cut him off. “He has a very strict schedule that he had no plans for last night. "</p><p>Chat Noir instantly raised an intrigued eyebrow.</p><p>"Oh? And how do you know that?” He replied sharply. </p><p>“I… I checked. For the investigation,” Ladybug stammered, losing her temper a little. "Anyway," she said, proudly lifting her chin. “I checked his schedule, he had no reason to be out yesterday. "</p><p>"Just because he had nothing planned doesn’t men he didn’t actually have a photo shoot scheduled at the last minute," retorted Chat Noir, clearly unconvinced by his partner's argument. “I'm sure it happens all the time. And I really don't see why it shocks you that Adrien could have been out last night when he has a job that could perfectly justify that, when Marinette really had <em>no</em> reason to be outside at such a hour!” He exclaimed, gesturing to the neighbourhood with a large wave of his hand. "Unless she was looking for the miraculouses..."</p><p>While Chat Noir let his sentence die, Ladybug felt her last reserves of patience abandon her for good.</p><p>She was starting to see red. An incendiary, volcanic red, worthy of the most explosive anger.</p><p>Her teammate's senseless accusations were starting to seriously hurt her ego and aroused in her a deep sense of injustice.</p><p>Chat Noir didn't know what it cost her to admit Adrien's guilt. He had no idea how much she loved her classmate and how her heart bled at the thought of him siding with their worst enemy.</p><p>It would have been easy for Ladybug to turn a blind eye. Even though she knew Adrien too well to fail to notice how strange his behaviour had been over the past few days, she could have spare herself these painful thoughts and give him the benefit of the doubt right away.</p><p>Yet instead of letting herself be blinded by how she felt for her classmate, she decided to face up to her responsibilities. She had put her feelings aside, had inflicted a terrible heartbreak on herself, all so that in the end Chat Noir refused to listen to her by assuring him that she was the suspect.</p><p>It was vexing, absurd and, above all, profoundly unfair.</p><p>Out of patience, the girl clenched her fists furiously.</p><p>"I don't see what the point of discussing this is for," she exclaimed angrily. "If you absolutely want Marinette to be guilty ..."</p><p>"I don't <em>want</em> Marinette to be guilty!" Chat Noir replied in an exasperated voice. "I just want to tell you that you shouldn't just focus on Adrien. We need to investigate her. "</p><p>Short of arguments, the two heroes exchanged an irritated look.</p><p>This conversation was getting nowhere.</p><p>Neither of them showed the slightest desire to reconsider their positions, nor the slightest interest in the hypothesis that their partner ardently defended.</p><p>So, mutually deciding to stop wasting their time like this, Chat Noir and Ladybug greeted each other curtly and walked away separately.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>If Marinette had suffered badly the first day of class after his suspicions about Adrien had arisen, the second day seemed even worse.</p><p>First, there was her argument with Chat Noir.</p><p>Oh sure, it wasn't the first. And it certainly wouldn't be the last, either. As close as they were, the young heroes were no less human. They had their flaws, their weaknesses, their moments of great incomprehension.</p><p>They would sometimes quarrel, and they would always reconcile.</p><p>But in the meantime, Marinette always felt horribly, hopelessly bad. Each time she fought with Chat Noir, she found herself oscillating between guilt and helpless rage, while desperately waiting for the moment when she could finally make peace with him.</p><p>And today was no exception.</p><p>Marinette was upset.</p><p>Pained, even, to be honest.</p><p>The memory of her argument with Chat Noir painfully squeezed her throat and compressed her chest, as if the air had suddenly become so dense and heavy that she had trouble breathing.</p><p>All because of Chat Noir's stupid assumptions, Marinette thought irritably.</p><p>If only he had listened to her when she said that "Marinette Dupain-Cheng" had nothing to do with the Great Guardian's disappearance, things would not have gone this far.</p><p>But no.</p><p>He had to be stubborn, narrow-minded and impervious to the slightest attempt at dialogue. Trying to talk to a wall would certainly have been just as effective, the girl thought with some realism - and a bit of bad faith.</p><p>Okay, come to think of it, she hadn't done better than Chat Noir.</p><p>But as far as she was concerned, she had a good excuse for sticking to her positions with so much relentlessness. A secret identity to protect, a false trail to spare her partner, for example.</p><p>Nothing to deserve that guilt and that exasperation that were brewing in her right now.</p><p>With a deep sigh, Marinette gently shook her head.</p><p>That stupid cat.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It didn't take long for Marinette's frustration to reach new heights.</p><p>As annoyed and saddened as she was, she did not let go of her attentive monitoring of Adrien's actions.</p><p>And <em>of course</em>, her classmate had to choose THE day she was arguing with Chat Noir to show more and more strange behaviour. Adrien didn't even bother trying to keep up appearances anymore. He was alternately nervous, thoughtful or downcast, or even unusually irritable. The boy’s distress was obvious, and he ran his hand behind his head so many times that his hair now sprang over his skull.</p><p>Judging from the worried looks he was giving him, even Nino had noticed the change in his best friend's attitude.</p><p>All these elements only increased Marinette’s suspicions.</p><p>Yes. Alas for her, her instinct had not deceived her. There was definitely something strange going on with Adrien.</p><p>For Marinette, the situation was untenable. The increasingly obvious guilt of her classmate and her argument with Chat Noir left her nerves burning and the heart raw. She didn't know how long she would last without collapsing completely in anger or despair.</p><p>So, at noon, Marinette decided to suspend her surveillance for a moment.</p><p>She needed some air.</p><p>To get away from Adrien, from his nervous gestures, from his feverish glances.</p><p>But no matter how hard she tried, it was impossible for the young heroine to completely forget her mission. Without her even realizing it, her footsteps instinctively guided her to the neighbourhood where Master Fu lived. Towards the alleys in which she had seen Adrien barely two days earlier, and which she herself had walked for hours in search of a clue.</p><p>When she finally realized it, Marinette let out a resigned sigh.</p><p>With or without the mask, her mission definitely stuck to her.</p><p>Choosing to make the best of a bad situation, Marinette decided to continue her investigations. After all, now that she was there, she had nothing to lose by exploring the streets around the Great Guardian's home again. With any luck, maybe she would find a clue that had she’d missed before.</p><p>But barely five minutes later, she froze, paralyzed with surprise.</p><p>Instead of a clue, she had run into her main suspect.</p><p>Adrien.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mouth wide open in stupor, Adrien stared at Marinette without believing his eyes.</p><p>Convinced that his classmate had gone home for lunch, he had wanted to take advantage of these moments of freedom to come and investigate the neighbourhood. </p><p>Just to see if he couldn't have discovered any evidence that Ladybug might have missed. Just to do something other than watch his classmate or rehash his argument endlessly with his Lady.</p><p>But never, <em>never would</em> he have expected to meet his main suspect at the bend of an alley. </p><p>Seeing her like that only reinforced his doubts a little more.</p><p>What could Marinette do here, so far from home and so close to Master Fu's?</p><p>Standing in front of him, his classmate stared at him a piercing look. A look so sharp, so calculating, so little <em>Marinette that</em> Adrien felt an unpleasant chill cross his spine. In addition to those eyes that seemed to want to read to the depths of his soul, the teenager also saw a myriad of expressions crossing his classmate's face.</p><p>Surprise. Pain. Consternation. Anger. Doubt.</p><p>Then, finally, an implacable resolution, which hardened the features of the girl and made her eyes sparkle.</p><p>Marinette took a deep breath, as if to literally take the plunge. Then, clenching her fists and raising her chin, she approached Adrien with a determined step.</p><p>"It seems an old man has disappeared in the neighbourhood, does that ring a bell?” She said suddenly, without any other form of preamble.</p><p>Adrien immediately felt his blood run cold with horror.</p><p>This confirmed to him that Marinette was indeed linked to the mysterious absence of the Great Guardian.</p><p>And even worse.</p><p>This apparently innocent sentence suddenly seemed fraught with threats, giving Adrien the certainty that his discreet observations had unfortunately not been <em>that</em> discreet. His classmate had obviously spotted him.</p><p>But she didn't know who she was dealing with.</p><p>Adrien was a hero, and no matter what intimidation attempts he might endure, he wouldn't back down.</p><p>"Yes, I heard of it," he replied in as casual a tone as possible. "On the other hand, I'm surprised <em>you</em> know about it," he continued, staring at Marinette, scrutinizing her every reaction. “As far as I know, even the police don't know anything. "</p><p>Marinette felt her heart break into a thousand pieces upon hearing Adrien's response.</p><p>He was aware of Master Fu's disappearance.</p><p>It was the ultimate proof she needed.</p><p>But too bad for all the love she still felt for him despite herself. She had to be strong. Confident. Heroic, with or without the mask. She would show no sign of weakness.</p><p>She would have plenty of time to collapse later.</p><p>"He's my great-uncle," she retorted with a poise worthy of Ladybug's greatest days. “<em>Of course</em> I know about it! What about you?” She concludes accusingly.</p><p>"He's an old friend of my mother's," replied Adrien. "I come to him often, and he never told me he had a great-niece. "</p><p>"It's interesting, he never told me either that he regularly had a visit from the son of one of his friends," Marinette bluffed in response.</p><p>Adrien was lying. She was sure of it. She knew it.</p><p>But alas, judging by the suspicious look he gave her, he knew she was lying too.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The afternoon which followed this meeting definitely entered the list of the most painful afternoons that Marinette has ever experienced.</p><p>Now convinced that Adrien had played a decisive role in the disappearance of the Great Guardian, the girl alternated between sadness and fury. She was angry with Adrien for betraying what she was fighting for, for having deceived everyone around him by hiding under a mask of false kindness and for being at the origin of her argument with Chat Noir.</p><p>And worst of all, she blamed herself for not being able to completely hate him. To always love her at least a little, despite common sense.</p><p>It would take time for Marinette to completely detach herself from the feelings for Adrien, she was aware of it. This boy had slipped way too deep into his heart to be able to be removed so easily.</p><p>Even despite the betrayal, even despite the grief.</p><p>Her pulse continued to quicken when she saw him, the skin on her cheeks continued to warm gently as he turned toward her.</p><p>But that did not prevent this love from cohabiting now with a legitimate anger. The resentment Marinette felt was commensurate with the disappointment that Adrien's actions inspired in her.</p><p>Overwhelmed by yet another wave of fury, she glared at her classmate. And, seeing her gesture, the boy gladly gave her this hostile glance back.</p><p>Not failing to notice this unusual exchange, Alya leaned towards her friend.</p><p>"Did you have a fight with Adrien?" She whispered in a worried voice.</p><p>"No," Marinette replied in an icy tone. " Absolutely not. "</p><p>Alya raised a sceptical eyebrow but didn't insist, clearly discouraged by her best friend's irritated expression.</p><p>"Ok, if you say so..." she whispered, clearly unconvinced.</p><p>In response, Marinette nodded firmly and gave Adrien another wrathful look.</p><p>She was angry. Disappointed. Pained.</p><p>But at least she could now see that there was one - one and only - positive point to this disastrous situation: now, it was impossible for Chat Noir not to believe her.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Chat Noir didn't believe her.</p><p>Ladybug was still having trouble admitting it.</p><p>When both had met at the end of the day to review their respective investigations, she had told him everything she had learned about Adrien. </p><p>She had told him about the young model’s increasingly obvious change in behaviour. While carefully avoiding the details, she had even told him that she had caught a conversation between Marinette and Adrien, where Adrien clearly admitted to being aware of the disappearance of the Great Guardian.</p><p>And yet, Chat Noir. Still. Didn’t. Believe. Her.</p><p>Even worse. He was sticking to his position, asserting confidently that he was convinced <em>Marinette</em> was the ideal suspect.</p><p>He kept telling her that <em>Marinette</em> had definitely had a strange attitude during the moments he had watched her. That <em>Marinette</em> had been seen lurking near Master Fu's house again. That <em>Marinette</em> <em>definitely</em> made a much more obvious culprit than Adrien.</p><p>Each of these statements only irritated Ladybug a little more.</p><p>Chat Noir was seriously mistaken. And because of his stupid stubbornness, he was wasting precious time investigating for nothing.</p><p>"It's impossible," she exclaimed, stamping her foot furiously on the ground. “Marinette has nothing to do with it! I don't understand <em>why</em> you’re obsessed with her! "</p><p>" What about you?” Chat Noir retorted in annoyance. "Adrien here, Adrien there ... You only have his name in your mouth, while Marinette is <em>clearly </em><em>the</em> one we're looking for. I don't understand <em>why</em> you are so convinced of his innocence!” He concludes, dramatically rolling his eyes.</p><p>It was too much for Ladybug.</p><p>Red with anger as much as with frustration, she abandoned her last reserves of patience to finally give in to the most primary of impulses.</p><p>“Because <em>I AM</em> Marinette!” She yelled angrily.</p><p>This violent outburst froze them both.</p><p>For a few long, painful seconds they stood still, Ladybug's last words echoing over and over in their ears. Clearly in shock, Chat Noir was now pale under his mask. Ladybug, on the other hand, refused for the moment to think about all the consequences that her sudden revelation would entail.</p><p>To think that she had always so fiercely protected her secret ...</p><p>Trying to push back the wave of panic that was starting to swell inside her, she forced herself to focus on the present moment. Later, she would certainly regret having been so impulsive - she already regretted it, by the way. Later, she would certainly be lectured by Tikki for revealing her identity.</p><p>But like a valve, this confession had finally allowed her to evacuate the storm that was bubbling in her and which threatened to explode at any moment.</p><p>Now oddly calm, as if detached from her own feelings, she would now be able to concentrate on finding Master Fu.</p><p>And, alas, on Adrien.</p><p>"I'm Marinette," she repeated calmly, as Chat Noir gave her a confused look. "That's why I know she had nothing to do with it. That <em>I</em> had nothing to do with it,” she insisted, placing a hand on her own chest. "Every time you saw Marinette near the Great Guardian's, it was me. I just wasn't transformed. And so,” she concluded, shaking her head with infinite sadness, “you have to listen to me when I tell you that Marinette is a wrong track and Adrien is our only suspect. We have to be wary of him. "</p><p>"This... This is not possible...", croaked Chat Noir.</p><p>Forcing herself to put a sympathetic smile on her face, Ladybug put a comforting hand on her partner's arm.</p><p>She understood his dismay way too well. She too had been more than disturbed to discover this dark side of the famous Adrien Agreste.</p><p>"I didn't want to believe it either," she agreed painfully, her throat tight with emotion. "I know that you are convinced of Adrien's innocence and I too would like that ..."</p><p>She paused for a moment, fiercely closing her eyelids to try to contain the tears that came to her eyes.</p><p>"I… I truly believed he could never be involved in such a thing," she continued in a trembling voice, looking back at her teammate again. "Adrien is the nicest person in the world. The most compassionate, the most adorable... It's hard not to love him," she admitted with a small apologetic smile. "If I hadn't seen him with my own eyes... I guess I didn't know him as well as I thought," she concluded with a sob-like laugh.</p><p>Still stunned, Chat Noir mechanically shook his head.</p><p>"No, I... I..." he stammered, struggling to find his words. “Marinette. It's not possible that I... That I <em>never</em> noticed anything. For you. That I never realized <em>YOU </em>were Ladybug. I... We see each other almost every day and I never realized that you were one and the same! "</p><p>Ladybug immediately had the sensation that the ground was opening under her feet.</p><p>"We... do we see each other <em>almost every day</em> ?" She repeated in a shrill voice.</p><p>Something was wrong.</p><p>She clearly did not see Chat Noir "almost every day". Once or twice a week, at most.</p><p>So...</p><p>So Chat Noir must have been talking about the boy <em>behind</em> the mask.</p><p>Which meant without a doubt that she also knew her teammate by his other identity. That she knew him <em>and </em><em>that</em> she was close to him.</p><p>As in a delusional dream of which she would only be a spectator, Ladybug saw Chat Noir gently nod his head in approval. She felt oddly dissociated from her body, driven from her own thoughts by the shock of her partner's announcement.</p><p>But the most absurd was yet to come.</p><p>"I... I'm Adrien," confessed Chat Noir in a breath. “Adrien Agreste. This... That's why I knew it couldn't be the culprit. "</p><p>Ladybug wouldn't have been more shocked if she had been struck by lightning.</p><p>"A-Adrien?” She stammered, unable to articulate anything else.</p><p>"The one and only," he confirmed with a shy smile.</p><p>In Ladybug's brain, it was the apocalypse. Blasts, big bangs, explosions of thoughts and emotions, each more intense than each other. The teenage girl couldn't think anymore. Couldn't analyze the situation anymore.</p><p>Adrien. Chat Noir. Their misunderstandings. Their argument. All those negative feelings that had tortured her over the past few days.</p><p>It was too much. Much, much too much for her broken mind.</p><p>And, in the midst of this brain rampage, a single emotion suddenly emerges. All the frustration the girl had felt was piling up layer by layer, crushing every other form of feeling until it left only one thing.</p><p>Pure, incandescent anger that eclipsed even the surprise she felt at the idea that Adrien was Chat Noir.</p><p>Ladybug was bubbling like a pressure cooker and this time, all the valves in the world would not be enough to defuse the coming explosion.</p><p>"I’ve had enough!” She exclaimed, on edge. "Come! "</p><p>Walking the talk, she twirled her yo-yo in a furious hiss.</p><p>It didn't matter if she shied away from the reality of their identity, it didn't matter if she let her exasperation guide her actions. She could always worry about it later.</p><p>For now, she saw only one way to preserve the little mental health she had left: to find out what was going on.</p><p>And to find out <em>now</em>.</p><p>"Where are we going?” Chat Noir asked, stunned by the turn of events.</p><p>"At Master Fu," retorted her teammate sharply. “Our kwamis may not be able to get through the walls of his apartment, but you can destroy his door with your Cataclysm. "</p><p>"Do you... do you want to destroy his door?" The boy stammered incredulously.</p><p>"I want to enter his home, no matter how," Ladybug agreed, her eyes sparkling with fierce determination. "We're going to search his house for clues and find out what happened to him! I have been patient enough so far! "</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Barely five minutes later, the two heroes landed on top of the building where the Great Guardian lived. Chat Noir had observed a cautious silence throughout the entire ride, while Ladybug's angry gaze seemed to defy anyone to interrupt her on her mission.</p><p>Nothing could stop the girl until she knew what had happened to Master Fu.</p><p>The teens jumped smoothly at the foot of the building, and to their amazement, immediately noticed that the light was on in the old man’s apartment.</p><p>Chat Noir and Ladybug immediately exchanged a suspicious look, while instinctively laying their hands on their weapons. It was quite possible that the Great Guardian's captor had managed to enter his home and was now rummaging through the place for the miraculous.</p><p>With a thousand precautions, the heroes approached the entrance to the apartment.</p><p>Ladybug put her hand on the doorknob and gave Chat Noir one last glance. With a brief nod of his head, the young man confirmed to him that he was ready to act.</p><p>Then, with the same gesture, the two heroes entered the apartment…</p><p>... and found themselves facing Master Fu.</p><p>The old man was in the middle of the room, standing in front of an open suitcase. A toiletry bag in one hand and a pair of slippers in the other, he was obviously unpacking his belongings when the two heroes interrupted him.</p><p>"Chat Noir! Ladybug!” He exclaimed happily. "What gives me the pleasure of your visit?" "</p><p>Stunned with surprise, the teenagers stared at him with as much disbelief and dismay as if they had just seen a ghost appear.</p><p>A ghost dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and armed with a pair of slippers.</p><p>"But... I... How... But you were missing!" Ladybug exclaimed, mechanically pointing a finger towards him.</p><p>It was impossible.</p><p>His eyes were certainly playing tricks on her.</p><p>After so many emotions, so many days spent looking for Master Fu, so many hours torturing herself about Adrien, her tired mind surely made her see hallucinations. Speaking, full of truth, with an obvious taste for flowered clothes hallucinations.</p><p>But hallucinations anyway, she was sure.</p><p>It couldn't be otherwise.</p><p>"Me? Missing? But not at all!” Replied the Great Guardian, putting his things back in his suitcase. “I was just gone for a few days. One of my contacts managed to track down two miraculouses in Peru,” he continued happily. “It was imperative that I go and check it out! "</p><p>Now Ladybug was staring at the old man with as much astonishment as if he had suddenly transformed into a giant penguin.</p><p>She couldn't believe her ears.</p><p>"In... Peru?" She repeated incredulously.</p><p>"A beautiful country," approved Master Fu, oblivious to the distress of his visitors. “And the people I met were very charming. Besides," he continued, rummaging in his suitcase and pulling out two colourful clothes," I also brought you some ponchos as a souvenir. "</p><p>Beside Ladybug, Chat Noir laughed nervously.</p><p>It was too much for him.</p><p>After so much tension, so much distress and helpless rage, his nerves were failing him. He felt an irrepressible laughter running along his skin, slipping between his ribs, shaking his body with uncontrollable jolts.</p><p>"P-ponchos," he gasped, struggling to catch his breath.</p><p>On the other hand, Ladybug refused to lose her train of thought.</p><p>She had to understand how she could have been <em>so</em> wrong.</p><p>"What about your client?” She said accusingly. “The other day, I ran into one of your clients waiting outside your house. You had an appointment and you never cancelled! "</p><p>Master Fu stared at her for a moment, surprised, before slapping his forehead with the flat of his hand.</p><p>“Ah, I knew I forgot something!” He blurted out with an apologetic grimace. "I must admit that I left a bit hastily. But do you realize?” He resumed enthusiastically. “I was able to find two miraculouses! <em>Two</em>! It's extraordinary! "</p><p>For Ladybug, this was too much. She felt that she was the victim of a terrible farce, of which she could only be the helpless spectator. To this feeling of witnessing a real disaster was added that of deep humiliation.</p><p>All this worry, all this anger, all this mess, for nothing.</p><p>All because she had followed a ridiculous intuition headlong.</p><p>Oh sure, she had been right when she guessed that the Great Guardian had vanished overnight. But that was little consolation compared to the cascade of cataclysmic events that had ensued.</p><p>Because of her stupid stubbornness, she had spent days worrying for Master Fu. She had strayed onto false tracks that nearly broke her heart and considered going so far as to vandalize the Great Guardian's apartment to find answers to her questions.</p><p>And worst of all, she stubbornly refused to believe in Chat Noir.</p><p>In her determination to defend her theory, she had blamed her precious partner for the same faults that had blinded her. She hadn't wanted to listen to him, she had stupidly fought with him and, to top it off, she had even revealed her own identity in anger.</p><p>What a lousy heroine she was doing there.</p><p>Ladybug had never felt so helpless, nor so ridiculous.</p><p>Cheeks stinging with shame, the girl clenched her fists angrily. How could she look Chat Noir - no, Adrien  <em>(Adrien!) - </em> in the eye again without being consumed with humiliation?</p><p>Impossible.</p><p>She had to get out of here. She had to run, fast, far, long.</p><p>She had to do something constructive to release the feeling of mortification that threatened to devour her alive.</p><p>Like burying her head in a pillow and screaming in it with all her might, for example.</p><p>Then, without saying a word, Ladybug turned on her heels and walked away towards the exit with a stiff step. The last thing she heard before rushing up to the rooftops was the astonished voice of the Great Guardian.</p><p>“Wait! What about your ponchos? "</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Once back home, Marinette found herself victim of the most masterful nervous breakdown of her life.</p><p>Even Tikki couldn't help her calm down.</p><p>Words of comfort, affectionate slaps on the shoulder, wise advice worthy of the ancient entity that was the tiny kwami, nothing helped. The girl's dismay did not ease, and Marinette continued to lament the recent events with as much distress as if she had been told the end of the world was imminent.</p><p>A little later, she was joined by a Chat Noir just as mortified as herself, holding a pair of ponchos in his arms. And when it turned out that her teammate was only asking for a pillow to scream in it too, Marinette couldn't help but feel some relief at last.</p><p>Adrien or Chat Noir, Marinette or Ladybug, it doesn't matter.</p><p>At least now they were on the same page again.</p><p>And given the terrible fiasco their investigation had been, that was all that mattered.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>*** THE END ***</strong>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is the end of this fic ^^ . I think I have never written such oblivious Adrien and Marinette. (Not when they are BOTH such oblivious, anyway). It must take a good dose of indulgence to bear them in this story.<br/>I hope you liked it ! </p><p>Thanks for reading me so far and have a nice day :).</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi again !<br/>So, as I said, I may continue to translate some of my fics, but I have so many that I will probably never have the courage to do them all! (I have 32 completed MLB fanfics in French. In total, more than 150 chapters. That’s way too much for me xD ) </p><p>So, I was wondering if there were any stories that you would like me to translate more than others?</p><p>Here are the summaries of some of my fics, feel free to tell me if there are any that you are interested in. Everything is not here, but I think it’s a good stard x) . </p><p> </p><p>-	Révélations<br/>Adrien never dreamed that he would someday hear a shy "I am Ladybug" confessed by one of his classmates, in the middle of their classroom and in front of all the other students.<br/>=&gt; 7 chapters, identity reveal, romance, friendship, Lila’s lies are exposed</p><p>-	À coeur ouvert<br/>If Marinette were to describe her life, she would call it "relatively normal". Apart from a few details, of course, like her secret identity and her role as a superheroine. But outside of that, nothing very extraordinary. Ladybug fights crime, and the girl under the mask lives her quiet student life. Well, until that fateful day.<br/>=&gt; 51 chapters (ahah.....), identity reveal, mature content, aged-up characters, angst with a happy ending</p><p>-	Problèmes de couples<br/>Marinette is single and everyone around her agrees that it is high time she finally date someone. With Adrien, for example.<br/>But will Marinette be receptive to the attempts of her relatives to interfere with her love life?<br/>=&gt; 5 chapters, identity reveal, misunderstanding, aged-up characters, fake dating, social pressure</p><p>-	Inquiétudes fraternelles<br/>In the Agreste family, there is Adrien. And there is also Félix. His brother, who wants nothing more than a normal life and the happiness of his loved ones.<br/>But with the presence of the miraculous of a certain Chat Noir, things quickly take an unexpected turn.<br/>=&gt; 29 chapters, alternate universe, brothers AU, written before season 3, identity reveal</p><p>-	À bout de souffle<br/>Often, Marinette thought back to the day she and Chat Noir had finally defeated Hawkmoth. It should have been their moment of glory, the pinnacle of a heroic career.<br/>On the contrary, it had been the beginning of a long and painful descent into hell.<br/>=&gt; 8 chapters, identity reveal, angst with a happy ending, post hawkmoth defeat, aged-up characters<br/>This work is a part of a serie. There are 3 other fics related to it, if I translate this one I'll likely tranlate the whole serie.</p><p>-	Parmi les dieux<br/>The creature that Ladybug and Chat Noir faced was unlike any other adversary they had ever faced. She even resembled them so little that an agonizing thought gradually imposed itself on the two heroes.<br/>What if this new enemy had nothing to do with Hawkmoth?<br/>=&gt; 16 chapters, identity reveal, angst with a happy ending, time travel </p><p>-	Pour cette fois<br/>Alya has plans for Marinette’s night out, and there's no point in arguing with Alya.<br/>Even when the plan in question is to attend a party specially organized for singles. And what’s more, a masked party.<br/>=&gt; 8 chapters, identity reveal, mature content, aged-up characters</p><p>-	Mauvais esprit<br/>Ladybug may be an experienced heroine, sometimes things don't go as planned. Protecting Paris requires having to face unforeseen situations, to show alertness, superhuman reflexes...<br/>And sometimes that also means having to cooperate with a… rather unusual partner.<br/>=&gt; 3 chapters, identity reveal, humor</p><p>-	Le royaume des ombres<br/>Marinette carefully observes her fragile reflection in her mirror.<br/>For months now, she has been fighting under the identity of Ladybug, and nothing in her appearance suggests the violence of the battles she must regularly fight to protect Paris. Only dark circles and her tired face betray the increasingly difficult consequences of her double life.<br/>Her fabulous power heals the bodies, but leaves her the mind in pieces.<br/>=&gt; 1 chapter, angst with a hopeful ending, identity reveal</p><p>-	Un soir d’été<br/>Marinette was comfortably installed on her sofa, in her small Parisian apartment. She distractedly watched TV while sipping a cold drink. A soft snore caught her attention, reminding her that she was not alone.<br/>=&gt; 30 chapters, aged-up characters, alternate universe, no powers, slice of life</p><p> </p><p>That's it ! Let me know if there are any stories that you want me to translate more than others :) .</p></blockquote></div></div>
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